NYC: American Intl Building and Manhattan Company Building (Photo credit: wallyg)

Lean Corporations: Simplify, Standardize, Automate

The idea of “Lean Corporations” is far from being new. Every star-up, tech companies or industry giants know the value of a Lean training . It has been mostly referred to as the principles of effective manufacturing or automotive giant Toyota and throughout history, the teachings of this methodology enabled businesses to deliver cheaper products without compromising their quality.

Looking at existing examples, there have been quite a few companies that struggled to survive and managed to keep up with the rest not by laying off some of their staff but by improving efficiency. The Lean teachings were able to bring business closer to a more sustainable model that generates less and less waste and thus increases the profit margins. For many, investments made to train their staff pay off quickly. What seems as a great expense in the beginning actually brings more profits on a long term but not only the companies benefit from this scenario.

Looking at the issue from an employee’s perspective, obtaining a Lean certification that is paid by the organization is something that is worth mentioning on a C.V. In fact, many recruiting companies go an extra mile just to get their hands on a candidate that as such a certification. Obtaining it is a testimony itself that the individual was capable of implementing a project that reduced the costs in an organization. This is something that everyone is looking for and it can open the doors to better jobs and an ascending career.

In the end, the Lean system got the world to the point where it is today where abundance, affordability and high quality products dominate the markets. Not managing to comply to such demands from customers will lead to sale losses, liquidities frozen in assets and investments and even bankruptcy. It has come to a point in which Lean training is not optional, especially for the management teams.